The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL) articles from September 2011

The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL) archives from September 2011

Research park looks to add, expand tenants.
September 13, 2011... Byline: Alexandra Clough Sept. 13--Florida Atlantic University's research park soon could become a center of health care technology and entrepreneurship, according to its new leader. Andrew Duffell, 34, the park's president and chief...

FPL begins to pursue natural gas pipeline.
September 13, 2011... Byline: Susan Salisbury Sept. 13--JUNO BEACH -- Florida Power & Light is moving ahead with plans for a new natural gas pipeline, but it remains to be seen who might build and own that pipeline. The company is preparing a request for...

Florida's chief financial officer urges legislators to reform tax code, balance budget.
September 13, 2011... Byline: Ana M. Valdes Sept. 13--WEST PALM BEACH -- Florida's chief financial officer is well aware that the state has had a "clear wake-up call" with increasing unemployment rates and underwater mortgages. "We did suffer, and we are...

Obama's jobs plan touts $7.5 billion, up to 63,000 positions for Florida.
September 13, 2011... Byline: Laura Green Sept. 13--WASHINGTON -- Florida could haul in $7.52 billion used to create or save 63,000 jobs through President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act, according to projections released by the White House. During a Rose...

Dwindling budget puts Homeward Bound service on the ropes.
September 11, 2011... Byline: Ana M. Valdes Sept. 11--WEST PALM BEACH -- A busy plumber who earned more than $1,000 a week, James Cade had more than enough to support his wife and three children and even splurge on a big-screen TV and a new Chevy Impala. But a...

Many survive foreclosure in style.
September 11, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 11--Homeowners in foreclosure are increasingly plotting a graceful landing that leaves them not in dire straits following an eviction, but with the same or even better living standards than before they defaulted....

New federal refinance plan shuts out homes too far underwater, may help few in Florida.
September 10, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 10--Recognizing the shortcomings in his once-heralded refinance program for struggling homeowners, President Obama asked Thursday for a revamp of the 2009 plan that has helped fewer than 840,000 borrowers...

Athena Awards to recognize 4 who strive to uplift women.
September 10, 2011... Byline: Mary Thurwachter Sept. 10--Not all smart, successful women take the time to share their knowledge and talents with other women along the way. Here are four who do. They pay it forward, helping another generation of women become...

Seven common investment scams to avoid.
September 10, 2011... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Sept. 10--Convicted scammers Bernie Madoff and Scott Rothstein are serving long prison sentences, and accused fraudster Allen Stanford is behind bars awaiting trial. But investors shouldn't assume all the bad guys...

New iPad app allows you to read The Palm Beach Post on the go.
September 10, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 10--Several times a day, The Palm Beach Post delivers a virtual newspaper to iPad users, presenting the latest news and photos in an interactive, easy-to-read format. Today's official iPad application launch makes it...

Law gives homemade goods lift at green markets.
September 10, 2011... Byline: Susan Salisbury Sept. 10--Thanks to a new state law, consumers might see more chocolate chip cookies and other homemade goods at this fall's green markets and farmers' markets. A new state "cottage food" law that took effect July 1...

Florida Democrats embrace Obama plan; Republicans say it's a 'mini me stimulus'.
September 9, 2011... Byline: Laura Green Sept. 09--WASHINGTON -- President Obama served up a jobs plan Thursday that could benefit many Floridians, through cheaper mortgage rates, an investment neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures and an infrastructure program...

Did 9/11 attacks set stage for housing bust?
September 9, 2011... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Sept. 09--Maybe Osama bin Ladin foresaw Florida's withering housing crash and double-digit unemployment. Maybe not. But a decade on, some say Sept. 11 played a crucial role in setting the stage for the economic boom...

Dade Medical's new West Palm Beach campus will provide 30 to 60 jobs.
September 9, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 09--Dade Medical College is expanding into Palm Beach County, transforming the Shoppes at Cresthaven into a bustling center in suburban West Palm Beach. It will be the fifth campus for the for-profit, South...

Florida Community Affairs chief defends growth law changes as Bob Graham assails them.
September 9, 2011... Byline: Joel Engelhardt Sept. 09--PALM BEACH -- The state's radically altered growth management law stood front and center Thursday as hundreds of planners attending a conference heard from the governor who signed it 25 years ago and the...

The Palm Beach Post, Fla., Frank Cerabino column.
September 9, 2011... Byline: Frank Cerabino Sept. 09--I think we need to update our highway alert system in Palm Beach County to include missing out-of-state politicians along with the missing abducted children and Alzheimer's sufferers. We seem to be a magnet...

Greenacres neighbor says rats infesting foreclosed home, puts up sign.
September 8, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 08--GREENACRES -- It's a sign of the times in a state teeming with foreclosures -- "House full of rats." That's the message frustrated homeowner Lynn McGee hung on her next-door neighbor's house in Greenacres...

Steady flow of natural gas key to Florida Light & Power's future.
September 8, 2011... Byline: Susan Salisbury Sept. 08--FPL plans to increase its natural gas pipeline capacity, company officials told state regulators Wednesday. Florida Power & Light Co. will be able to meet demand for electricity through 2020 while...

New West Palm Beach pharmacies face tighter rules about prescription drugs.
September 8, 2011... Byline: Andrew Abramson Sept. 08--WEST PALM BEACH -- To help crack down on pill mills, the city commission on Tuesday voted to change the city's zoning laws to bar new pharmacies from having abuse-prone pain medications account for more than...

Obama's jobs speech: President expected to propose $300 billion in tax cuts, aid.
September 8, 2011... Byline: Laura Green Sept. 08--WASHINGTON -- For five months, Bob Bloom has watched his business spike and dip, just like the stock market. After a great April, he suffered his worst July in six years. There was so little work "we sat around...

Florida economic forecast the best in five years, but still dark.
September 8, 2011... Byline: John Kennedy Sept. 08--TALLAHASSEE -- Florida lawmakers Wednesday received their brightest economic forecast since the recession hit, with projected tax collections and spending in harmony and no budget shortfalls seen through 2015....

Area Walmart stores plan to try food waste recycling.
September 7, 2011... Byline: Willie Howard Sept. 07--PALM SPRINGS -- The Walmart store being built on 10th Avenue North could be the first of nine stores in Palm Beach County where inedible fruit, vegetables and baked goods will be recycled. Food waste will be...

BRIEF: Palm Beach Gardens shopping center sells for $4.5 million.
September 7, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 07--PALM BEACH GARDENS -- Gardens Square, a 20,008-square-foot retail center, was purchased Friday for $4.53 million by a private investor represented by Steve Rockoff of Sheehan Realty Corporation in Jupiter. ...

BRIEF: Florida Public Service Commission to discuss the 10-year site plans for FPL.
September 7, 2011... Byline: Susan Salisbury Sept. 07--The Florida Public Service Commission is expected to discuss the 10-year site plans for Florida Power & Light Co. and the state's other large electric utilities at a workshop today . The workshop is...

Local seniors give their stamp of disapproval to possible post office cuts.
September 7, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 07--LANTANA -- The grandkids don't want cards and letters -- they want Facebook messages, and that's the crux of the problem for the U.S. Postal Service, says loyal customer Judi Fogel. With a supersize card and...

Lake Worth proposes increasing taxes.
September 7, 2011... Byline: Willie Howard Sept. 07--LAKE WORTH -- City taxes will go up $9.95 a month for the owner of a $150,000 home with a homestead exemption under a tax rate city commissioners approved on first reading Tuesday. In a 4-1 vote,...

Florida legislature trying to bust foreclosure backlog - again.
September 6, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 06--For the third consecutive year, Florida lawmakers will attempt to fix the state's foreclosure court mire with legislation that streamlines the process and, in some cases, gives banks quicker access to...

Related Cos. touts plan for condos in West Palm's north end.
September 6, 2011... Byline: Andrew Abramson Sept. 06--WEST PALM BEACH -- A plan to build condo towers on North Flagler Drive has resurfaced, with the project three times larger than proposed five years ago and the developer promising the city $1 million to...

Job seekers with disabilities face extra obstacles in Palm Beach County, U.S.
September 6, 2011... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Sept. 06--Even when unemployment sank to historic lows, Angela McPherson couldn't find work. A four-year job search during Palm Beach County's employment boom yielded nothing -- in large part because McPherson is...

Day-care center plan unveiled.
September 6, 2011... Byline: Willie Howard Sept. 06--GREENACRES -- A Wellington couple is planning to build a day-care center on 10th Avenue North that would serve up to 200 children from infants to age 12. Janice and Neil Williams of Globex Investment Group...

Mental health providers in turmoil as Blue Cross shifts business, cuts rates.
September 5, 2011... Byline: Stacey Singer Sept. 05--Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is canceling its psychologists' and mental health counselors' contracts as of Nov. 30 as it switches to a new managed care vendor, New Directions Behavioral Health of...

Anti-terrorism spending raises criticism on where money has gone.
September 5, 2011... Byline: Charles Elmore and Pat Beall Sept. 05--Over the years, anti--terrorism money has wound up in surprising places: earmarked for private tour bus security, traffic signs and even in the coffers of an Illinois cut-rate luggage retailer....

One town housing project done, Habitat for Humanity begins 19-home endeavor in Jupiter.
September 4, 2011... Byline: Bill DiPaolo Sept. 04--JUPITER -- Less than a year after finishing an affordable-housing project in Kennedy Estates, Habitat for Humanity has broken ground to build 19 more single-family houses on the south side of Jupiter Gardens...

Economic downturn cranking up stress, even for those with steady jobs.
September 4, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 04--Did the boss lay off your co-worker and give you his job -- as long as you kept doing your job, too? That's the continuing employment picture for workers, and after a year and a half of recession and two years of...

Despite record losses from disasters this year, Florida shouldn't feel much of a pinch.
September 4, 2011... Byline: Laura Green Sept. 04--Hurricane Irene's damage hasn't even been counted yet, but global catastrophic losses have hit a record in 2011 with four more months to go. That might worry Floridians who have seen disasters cause their...

As sports teams take to the field, Palm Beach County businesses, restaurants reap rewards.
September 3, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 03--Fans are breaking out the aqua, the orange and blue, the garnet and gold and heading to their local sports bar or putting out the team flag and inviting friends over. It's football season -- college games...

Jupiter woman trades in sheriff's job for baking pans, more time with son.
September 3, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller Sept. 03--JUPITER -- From crime scene sleuth to cookie and cake chef, Jenni Howell's path to culinary entrepreneurship was anything but traditional. The 37-year-old Jupiter resident spent five years as an...

Bob Keltie, certified business analyst honored for hockey, hospice work.
September 3, 2011... Byline: Mary Thurwachter Sept. 03--Bob Keltie's favorite quote: 'You are all waiting for George to do it -- look around; we do not have a George on this team -- so do it yourself.' - Jack Kelley, college hockey coach, between...

Applying to colleges? Consultants can demystify the process.
September 3, 2011... Byline: Susan Salisbury Sept. 03--Gary and Julie Stern of suburban Lake Worth just experienced what is a long-awaited day in the life of many parents. They took their oldest daughter Samantha, 18, to Temple University in Philadelphia, where...

West Palm Beach's CityPlace is target of foreclosure suit.
September 3, 2011... Byline: Jeff Ostrowski Sept. 03--WEST PALM BEACH -- A lender has filed foreclosure against CityPlace, the high-profile shopping complex that's facing financial woes in spite of its high occupancy. CityPlace fell behind on its $150 million...

PBIA's $19.2 million air traffic control tower stands completed but empty.
September 2, 2011... Byline: Jennifer Sorentrue Sept. 02--At 231 feet tall, the new control tower stands more than double the height of the old one, providing unobstructed sightlines for the air traffic controllers who guide 300 flights a day at Palm Beach...

Nonprofits mirror slow economy.
September 1, 2011... Byline: Emily Roach Sept. 01--WEST PALM BEACH -- Nonprofits are slowly getting more secure, but the lagging economic recovery is reflected in the modest improvements shown in this year's Nonprofits and the Economy Survey. The main...

Business, government leaders craft 10-year strategic plan for Palm Beach County.
September 1, 2011... Byline: Stacey Singer Sept. 01--BOCA RATON -- The economic downturn has forced businesses to take a hard look at what they do and how they do it to increase efficiency and reduce costs. "Right or wrong, the feeling is government really...

PBP Exclusive: Company used smaller Delray firm to get business, inspector general says.
September 1, 2011... Byline: Kimberly Miller and Susan Salisbury Sept. 01--WEST PALM BEACH -- Ferguson Enterprises, the largest wholesale plumbing distributor in North America, sold pipes and valves to Palm Beach County through a Delray Beach company that got...